Chapter Fifty-Nine

Remedy looked at the pile of cash, then up to Maxime.

The lady smiled down at Remedy, then wiggled the money. “Take it,” she said. “It’s only fair.”

“Okay?” Remedy said as she took the cash. It was a lot of bills. Most of them ones and fives, but some were bigger. That meant that it was a lot of money. Money that people had been putting into the tin next to Maxime’s counter at the front of the flower shop.

Remedy had been playing with the flowers out front all morning. It was a whole lot of fun, and Mister Anderson said she could do whatever she wanted as long as what she made couldn’t hurt people.

It was like a petting zoo, but for flowers that she made cooler. It was a sweet gig, and other than one teeny tiny altercation with a filthy Panacea fan the morning had been productive, but now it was time to leave and head back home.

The others were already heading out, trailing over to Big Sis who was waiting for them while talking to mister Anderson. Big Sis had worked very hard to make sure that they could make a bunch of money to be able to buy stuff like food and things.

“Thank you, miss Maxime,” Remedy said to the flower lady. It earned her a single pat on the head. It was an okay pat. She gave it... point two Big Sisters on the pat-scale.

Remedy stuffed her wad of cash in one of the pockets of her healer’s robes and started moving towards the others. She took her time though. Big Sis only had so much time to give them, especially now that there were so many of them, so it was normal that she couldn’t give Remedy as much attention, especially since Remedy deserved it the least.

She was halfway to the others when something caught her eye and she found her steps faltering.

The space that Mister Anderson had brought them in was a sort of square, with a bunch of buildings laid out on three sides and the boardwalk proper, and the ocean of course, on the fourth side. That meant that from the middle of the square Big Sis could keep an eye on all of them without too much trouble. The flower shop she had been playing at all morning was on one corner, close to the water, and Big Sis and her sisters were on the opposite side.

Which really just meant that Remedy hadn’t really seen much of the other stores along the route. Like the one she was staring at now.

Everything Hero was tucked in between one of the clothing stores where Crochet had done her fashion advice thing and a little cafe. It was a small narrow building with a pretty front made prettier by the posters of Glory Girl taped to the windows.

Remedy looked towards Big Sis. She was still talking with Mister Anderson. She had some time.

With quick steps, Remedy moved over to the shop and looked in between the posters. It was mostly empty except for an old guy behind the counter and shelves upon shelves of cool merch.

Grinning, Remedy stepped past the open door and moved right by the counter, the guy behind it never noticing her. That was okay, she was good at not being noticed.

The store was roughly divided into five sections. Local Protectorate and Wards, local heroes, out of town Protectorate, out of town heroes, and famous rogues. There was some overlap, but most of the things near the entrance were all from the locals.

The New Wave section was the best, of course. They had scarves, medals, Pan-Pan panties, postcards, shirts and hoodies and, in the middle of a row, on a plinth that stuck out of the ground, were the most precious items in the whole store.

Glory Girl action figures.

She had seen pictures of them, of course. They were small plastic figurines (not toys!) that stood nearly a foot tall. Some were really detailed and had different variations on costumes, others were a whole lot cheaper and looked like plain Barbie dolls with cheap costumes thrown on.

Remedy looked at all the cool ones and ignored the lamer ones like the exclusive Panacea models.

In the middle, atop a smaller pillar, inside of a thick plexiglass case, was a box, and in that box was a mint condition, limited edition 2010 Glory Girl figurine. She recognised it. The model had been recalled almost as soon as it hit the shelves because the tiny plastic panties that came with it had a tendency to slip off.

Remedy stared at the tiny figure of Glory Girl in the box, posed as if blowing a kiss.

She really wanted it.

The price tag on the box read two hundred and eighty. “It’s so expensive,” she said.

“That, little lady, is because it’s signed.” Remedy spun around to find that the shopkeeper was standing at the end of the alley. He gave her a smile and a wave. “Didn’t mean to spook you. Are you interested in the figure?”

Remedy was. And she had made a bunch of money today. Maybe enough... She looked at the figurine again, want and desire rumbling in her tummy.

“N-no, no, it’s okay,” she said. “Thank you though!” she said before running out of the store.

She found Big Sis much closer. “Oh, there you are,” Taylor said with a growing smile. “I was getting worried.”

Remedy felt the rumble in her tummy be replaced by happy butterflies. “I was just looking at things,” she said. “Look, I made a bunch of money!” she said as she pulled out the wad of tips she had made.

Big Sis’ smile grew and she pulled Remedy into a tight hug. “Thanks, Rem, you’re helping a lot.”

Remedy wore a smile for the rest of the evening. She could get the model later, for now helping was more important. It was what she was for.

***